Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 618 Difficult Negotiations (Part 5)
At the request of the Spanish delegation, negotiations continued.

The same meeting room, the same long pine table, but the atmosphere was completely different from yesterday.

Marquis Mendoza's face remained grim, but the unrealistic arrogance deep in his eyes had been replaced by a somber reality.

Baron Cruz sat beside him, focused, with a notebook open in front of him, as if he were ready for a tough battle.

Xinhua's Foreign Minister Chen Rui and his negotiators took their seats one after another. Their expressions were calm and composed, showing neither the smugness of victors nor any sign of impatience, as if yesterday's unpleasant farce had never happened.

"Your Excellency Marquis, Your Excellency Baron, distinguished representatives," Chen Rui began, his tone calm, "I hope that after yesterday's recess, both sides can adopt a more pragmatic approach to achieve our common goal—peace."

Marquis Mendoza took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound steady: "After careful internal discussion, we believe that in order to demonstrate our utmost sincerity and promote substantial progress in the negotiations, we are willing to listen to your initial ideas on the terms of the ceasefire."

These words are almost tantamount to admitting the absurdity of their own conditions yesterday, and are a veiled concession.

Chen Rui seemed unsurprised by this; he nodded slightly and gestured to Lin Afu beside him.

Lin Afu took out a document from the folder and began to read out the ceasefire terms of Xinzhou ***** in a clear and steady voice: "Based on the current military and realistic situation, and in order to establish long-term peaceful and friendly relations between the two countries in the future, we propose the following ceasefire terms."

"First, the Kingdom of Spain recognizes the complete and permanent sovereignty of the New South Wales over the territory of California—bounded from 42°N to 28°N, from the Pacific coast in the west to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Colorado River in the east. Simultaneously, the Kingdom of Spain cedes sovereignty over all territory west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, north of the 28°N line, up to the existing line of control, to the New South Wales."

This demand for territorial concessions struck the Spanish like a heavy blow.

The cession of California was within the expectations of some people, after all, it had already been effectively occupied and controlled by the new Chinese.

But demanding a large tract of land west of the Sierra Madre del Ciudad del Ciudad is tantamount to cutting off a piece of fat meat from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, directly threatening the heart of Mexico!
"Secondly, regarding war responsibility and reparations. The Kingdom of Spain shall pay our country military reparations for the conflict it provoked, totaling two million Spanish silver pesos, to be paid in five installments. In addition, your country shall pay ransoms to all captured Spanish soldiers and officers according to their rank, the specific standards of which can be discussed separately."

Pay reparations for military expenses!

We also have to pay ransom to the prisoners!

This is tantamount to blatantly labeling Spain as a loser.

Marquis Mendoza clenched his fist suddenly under the table.

"Third, regarding trade. The Kingdom of Spain must fully open all ports and markets in its American territories, allowing goods, capital, and citizens of the Republic of China in the Americas to freely enter, circulate, and operate, provided they comply with local basic laws, and enjoy the same rights and treatment as Spanish merchants, without imposing any discriminatory tariffs or non-tariff barriers."

Free trade?

This is to completely break the colonial trade monopoly system that Spain has operated for hundreds of years.

The Spanish officials present, especially those with trade interests, turned pale instantly.

"Fourth, regarding navigation rights. The Kingdom of Spain must open all its major ports along its Pacific coast, allowing our merchant and civilian vessels to freely travel, dock, resupply, and repair without restriction. As a reciprocal principle, our ports will also be open to Spanish merchant ships."

"Fifth, regarding the right of transit. In order to promote exchanges and trade between the east and west coasts, the Kingdom of Spain should open the Isthmus of Panama, allowing our people, goods and mail to be transshipped overland to the Atlantic side under the management and supervision of the agreement between the two sides."

As Lin Afu's voice faded, the conference hall fell into a deathly silence, save for the heavy breathing of the Spanish delegates.

Each of these conditions was like a sharp knife, cutting into the body of the Spanish Empire, drawing its blood, and gouging out its flesh.

“Absurd! Shameless extortion!” The Marquis of Mendoza could no longer maintain his composure. He stood up abruptly, his voice trembling with rage. “Cease a large swathe of territory west of the Sierra Madre? You’re trying to dismember New Spain!”

"That is an integral part of the kingdom, a bulwark for the heart of Mexico, where tens of thousands of Spanish citizens live. This is absolutely impossible; it severely undermines Spain's dignity and territorial security!"

He was practically roaring; the combined stress of the past few days and the shock of this moment had made him lose his composure.

Baron Cruz had to gently tug at his sleeve to signal him to calm down.

"Your Excellency, please calm down." Chen Rui's tone remained calm, but carried an undeniable firmness. "I would like to remind you that a considerable portion of this area is currently under the actual control or influence of our army. Our proposed demarcation is based on the current line of control and future security needs."

"Regarding California..." Mendoza suppressed his anger, trying to salvage the situation from an absolute disadvantage, "We only agree to use the 36th parallel north as the boundary. South of this line, including San Diego... that is, your Nanping, should be designated as a demilitarized buffer zone. Neither side is allowed to immigrate or station troops! This is already our biggest concession!" He was trying to preserve the potential value of the Baja California peninsula and the southern coast, and to secure a buffer zone.

Chen Rui shook his head slightly, his tone resolute: "Your Excellency, there is no room for discussion regarding the ownership of California. It is already the legitimate and established territory of my New Continent China Republic. What we are discussing is how your country can ratify it through a treaty."

"And what about reparations?" Baron Cruz took over, trying to shift the focus. His voice was heavy and helpless. "This war took place on Spanish soil. Our towns were burned, our people were displaced, and our fleet suffered heavy losses."

"Therefore, in reality, we are the ones who have suffered huge losses! Now, we are asked to pay you a huge amount of military expenses? This is unreasonable and illogical, and the kingdom's finances cannot bear such a heavy burden."

“Your Excellency Baron…” Lin Afu began, his voice carrying the shrewdness and calculation of a businessman, “Your country is well aware of the cause of the war. As for the losses, our army crossed oceans and spent huge sums of money to protect the legitimate rights and interests of our merchants and citizens and the national security of our country, which is a just cause.”

"The two million pesos is only a reasonable compensation for part of our military expenditures. If your country finds it unbearable, you may consider partial compensation with certain specific resources or tariff rights."

"Open the market? This is a complete violation of the kingdom's fundamental laws!" Marquis Mendoza became agitated again. "His Majesty the King's trade ban is intended to protect the kingdom's industry and commerce. Allowing your goods to flood in without restriction will greatly harm the interests of our Kingdom of Spain."

“Your Excellency Marquis,” Chen Rui replied again, his tone tinged with sarcasm, “the essence of trade is mutual benefit. Your country’s silver, once mined, needs to purchase a large quantity of goods; this is the law of the market.”

“Forcibly blocking it will only breed more smuggling and conflict. Appropriate opening is also beneficial to your country, as it can stabilize prices and increase tax revenue.”

"If you are concerned about the impact, we can discuss a gradual opening transition period, or set quota management for certain specific goods."

Xinhua demonstrated flexibility, but its core objectives remained unchanged.

"Opening the port... in principle, we can consider limited opening," Baron Cruz was more pragmatic on this point, but immediately added strict restrictions, "but we believe it should be limited to civilian merchant ships, and each ship must apply in advance and obtain approval from the colonial authorities before it can enter the port."

"Furthermore, no offensive weapons may be carried on board, and personnel disembarking must be subject to strict supervision."

“As for the Isthmus of Panama…” Baron Cruz shook his head. This touched upon the core interests of the Kingdom of Spain’s global strategic lifeline, and there was no room for compromise. “Absolutely not! The isthmus is the key to connecting the two oceans, and it is the Kingdom’s absolute core interest. No external force will be allowed to interfere. There is absolutely no room for negotiation on this point!”

“The opening of the isthmus is to promote broader trade and exchange, which will also benefit your country…” Deputy Minister Javi attempted to explain in Spanish, but was immediately and forcefully interrupted by Mendoza.

"No need for further words, this matter is off-limits!"

Over the next few days, the negotiations proceeded in a high-intensity, highly confrontational tug-of-war.

Every day, representatives from both sides would sit around a long table and debate each and every clause meticulously.

Xinhua's representatives demonstrated remarkable patience and resilience, neither easily angered nor making significant concessions on core terms.

After several days, the negotiations were progressing at a frustratingly slow pace.

Only a few minor issues were reached, such as the treatment of captured civilians and the details of the repatriation of non-military personnel.

On core issues such as territory, reparations, market access, navigation rights, and the Isthmus of Panama, the two sides remain diametrically opposed and have huge differences.

Meanwhile, the pressure on the Spanish delegation is increasing daily.

The Marquis of Mendoza's anger and frustration often erupted, but he was forced to return to the negotiating table time and time again, under the persuasion of Baron Cruz and others and in the face of the harsh reality.

They realized that the new Chinese not only possessed absolute military superiority, but were also well-prepared, had clear strategies, and were extremely determined at the diplomatic negotiating table.

The negotiation turned into a marathon that drained both willpower and patience.

But the Spanish representatives clearly felt that time was not on their side.

If negotiations continue to drag on, the situation on the battlefield may become even more unfavorable for Spain, because no one knows whether the Xinhua Army will launch another large-scale military offensive in the future.

The increasingly urgent transport of the treasure ships is likely to be delayed again.
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(End of this chapter)